June 1st announcement

[enyliram]

for my 7 night cruise i see the savings at $100OBC and $25 more for the C/A diamond=$125. how did you receive $600?

[enyliram]

sorry that should read 25 dollars total. no OBC

[pcur]

for my 7 night cruise i see the savings at $100OBC and $25 more for the C/A diamond=$125. how did you receive $600?

 

I have 3 cruises booked next year after 5/1/11, so the total for all of them was $600, plus got a balcony for 2 of them.

 

It was kind of weird: the first one we booked several months ago, and it just happens to sail on 5/2/11. Got in just under the time limit.

 

I was just emailing a friend about all of this. I watch her prices for her cruises for her since she works full time. I told her I am now going to book a future cruise every time I'm on a cruise. I can always transfer the booking to the "real" cruise, or cancel the booking. The future cruise booking obc is my cost insurance against not being able to get a price drop after final payment.

[Schooner Bar Girl]

Okay.....Am I the only one who noticed that the D+ upgrades got worse rather than better?????:( The upgrade from a balcony is now limited to only JS and Grand Suites.

[vickila]

Why would it tick you off? They're not going to mail out crystal ships to everybody who would have been eligible if the rule had been in place all along.

That is exactly what I expected -- 20 reached -- mail it out to me -- reach 24 -- mail it out -- called catch up!!! Vicki:)

[pcur]

Okay.....Am I the only one who noticed that the D+ upgrades got worse rather than better?????:( The upgrade from a balcony is now limited to only JS and Grand Suites.

 

Actually, that's the way it was explained to me when I called the D+ desk last September. It's a "within category family" thing from what I was told.

[Schooner Bar Girl]

Actually, that's the way it was explained to me when I called the D+ desk last September. It's a "within category family" thing from what I was told.

 

Actually in the past they would upgrade you from a balcony to a JS, Grand Suite, or Owners Suite. I'm going to miss the Owner Suite upgrades.:(

[CruiseLover15]

I told her I am now going to book a future cruise every time I'm on a cruise. I can always transfer the booking to the "real" cruise, or cancel the booking. The future cruise booking obc is my cost insurance against not being able to get a price drop after final payment.

 

 

I think this is a great idea and I am sure it has been answered but will a next cruise certificate accomplish the same thing?

[pcur]

I think this is a great idea and I am sure it has been answered but will a next cruise certificate accomplish the same thing?

 

Not quite: the next cruie certificate deposit is non-refundable. If you make the $100 deposit when you book the cruise while on board, that deposit is refundable, and transferrable to another cruise if/when you change your mind.

 

Now, I was told by a Loyalty Ambassador to only put one person in the cabin, make the immediate $100 deposit on my credit card, and then add the second person later when I decide for sure. Others on this board have said they were dinged for the current (and higher) price when they added the other person later, but that did not happen to me. To be safe, I would put the $100 deposit for each person when you book on board.

 

This way your price is locked for both people, your deposit is refundable, your obc and deposit are transferrable, and you have the lower cost overall against a price drop after final payment that you can no longer get, anyway, after 5/17/10.

 

As I've posted before, an LA told me, "pick a cruise, any cruise, for now".

[demodawn]

I had canceled a ghost booking after we made resy. It took me a while to figure out the $100 credit on my cc. I got the refund and I had totally forgot about that! So sometimes you get the $100 deposit back

[beachbuddy]

I had canceled a ghost booking after we made resy. It took me a while to figure out the $100 credit on my cc. I got the refund and I had totally forgot about that! So sometimes you get the $100 deposit back

 

Dawn,

That happened to me once too. I used a Next Cruise certificate and booked a cruise. The NC deposit was $100 so when I booked I had to pay $400 more for the deposit. Well, I wanted to cancel that cruise and the person I spoke to told me I would only get the $400 refunded so I just moved the cruise to any cruise and any date that was far out. When I spoke to another rep she told me if I cancelled I would get my entire deposit back. She said you can't just get a refund for the certificate that you purchased but once you book a cruise with it, it's no longer a NC certificate and it's part of your deposit and you get it all refunded. Just proves once again that it all depends on who you talk to.

 

So............if at first you don't like the answer, call, call again!!!:D:D:D

 

Patty

[steponboard]

Okay.....Am I the only one who noticed that the D+ upgrades got worse rather than better?????:( The upgrade from a balcony is now limited to only JS and Grand Suites.

And they took away the upgraded bathroom amenities until 49 cruises D+ got screwed on this one.

[EVALUATOR]

And they took away the upgraded bathroom amenities until 49 cruises D+ got screwed on this one.

 

It was listed as an amenity for 49 credits before the changes. Some just got them as D+ with less than 49 credits.

[BGCruiser85]

I am just telling you what I have observed and know to be true.

 

Same ship, same itinerary a year apart. The difference is only the price for cruising. The type of people cruising were of a different class on the second cruise after the price drop.

 

Having seen the financials, onboard revenue dropped by as much as 75% on some sailings and some ships. Those paying less just did not spend as much as the people who had cruised when prices are higher. The best thing Royal needs to do is raise prices by at least 10% across the board IN ALL CATEGORIES. Revenue will return both onboard and in sailing revenue.

 

Richard Fain was one of the last cruise executives to lower prices and he predicted what was played out. He could make more money with ships not sailing at capacity because the onboard revenue would not have suffered as much as when prices dropped to "fill the ships".

 

It is not just on Royal.

 

On a January Celebrity cruise, I have never seen as many mullets and wife beaters as I did except at a Billy Ray Cyrus concert.

 

...and I suppose we should especially make sure that the classes do not interact while on board? Maybe put gates and barriers up to prevent the cabin folks from accessing the deck? Maybe have different drinking fountains again? Your comments seem rather elitist to me.:(

[BMT]

Here in the UK we have had this problem for quite a few years.

 

Someone told me that they are now having a similar problem in the US.

 

Obviously, if you sell very cheap, you get people from maybe different walks of life to those who can pay more and spend more.

 

Years ago, when the British were leading the cruise line industry, there was first and second class and yes, there were locked doors 'tween decks.

 

I personally, prefer the modern way of everyone mixing in. Unfortunately, there are objectionable people in all walks of life.

 

If you don't like it, then go on the more expensive cruise lines - Silversea, Crystal etc. and die of boredom - hehehehe!!!

[gracey49]

I think RCI would be wise to make Gold members happier. We're just starting to form an alliance with a cruise line. On my 2nd cruise, we enjoyed the few perks of Gold status and so when my group was planning another I suggested staying with RCI for the perks of gold only to find that 3 months after booking they changed the reward schedule and removed all but a coupon book. :( not much value there. And certainly no reason to stay with a particular cruise line. Big Mistake, in my eyes. It makes us less likely to stay loyal and book RCI again.

[mommabean]

I think RCI would be wise to make Gold members happier. We're just starting to form an alliance with a cruise line. On my 2nd cruise, we enjoyed the few perks of Gold status and so when my group was planning another I suggested staying with RCI for the perks of gold only to find that 3 months after booking they changed the reward schedule and removed all but a coupon book. :( not much value there. And certainly no reason to stay with a particular cruise line. Big Mistake, in my eyes. It makes us less likely to stay loyal and book RCI again.

 

Was there anything other than a coupon book for gold ever? Oh...the gift? None of us gets that anymore anyway.

 

My first cruise was on RCI. My second cruise was on Carnival. That sent me to RCI in most cases irregardless of the booklet which I thought was pretty cool at that time. I appreciated the free drink and picture coupon and the 8 free quarters. :) At that time I didn't even know the coupon book would improve with level.

 

If I wasn't enjoying my RCI cruises, I wouldn't have come back at all.

 

But once we become accustomed to the level we are at, it's hard to have them take a perk away. I completely understand how the D people felt last year. I had hoped they'd open a full bar at the diamond event with the new perks to make up for what was done to the D level last year. (I also feared they'd take the CL away from D+)

 

Gina

[madforcruising]

I think RCI would be wise to make Gold members happier. We're just starting to form an alliance with a cruise line. On my 2nd cruise, we enjoyed the few perks of Gold status and so when my group was planning another I suggested staying with RCI for the perks of gold only to find that 3 months after booking they changed the reward schedule and removed all but a coupon book. :( not much value there. And certainly no reason to stay with a particular cruise line. Big Mistake, in my eyes. It makes us less likely to stay loyal and book RCI again.

 

 

I think that would be the wrong approach.

A cruise line needs to persuade people to come back and cruise with them again by offering a good product at good value, but not by bribing them.

 

Don´t get me wrong it´s nice to see a few perks regardless of level and I appreciate those perks, however to me the reason to come back is a good product at good value. Perks given for bein loyal are the icing on the cake, appreciated, but not expected and not the reason for me to come back.

If a cruise line has to bribe me with gifts, perks etc, to come back, they have to think about their product and why they have to spend all that money just to get me onboard.

 

JMHO.

[storm1of4]

JMHO-----

 

Dont be so simplistic...We are diamond members 18 cruises... We love the cruise line and throughly enjoy the perks and "bribes" I would have tried other cruise lines.. but it is the C/A perks that really keep me loyal.

[steponboard]

The deal breaker for me is that RCL took away the Preferred seating in the dining room for diamond plus. If I am not garenteed which MDR seating I get I will look elsewhere. The dining room is one of most enjoyable aspects of a cruise.

[madforcruising]

JMHO-----

 

Dont be so simplistic...We are diamond members 18 cruises... We love the cruise line and throughly enjoy the perks and "bribes" I would have tried other cruise lines.. but it is the C/A perks that really keep me loyal.

 

 

Interesting, I´m D+ and I have tried other lines before they took away perks, after they took away perks and will again go with other lines after they added perks again.

 

My decision to take a cruise has nothing to do with C&A perks, unless it would be exact same cruise, price, date, cabin category, etc. In that case perks might be the decision maker.

[isujim]

Interesting, I´m D+ and I have tried other lines before they took away perks, after they took away perks and will again go with other lines after they added perks again.

 

My decision to take a cruise has nothing to do with C&A perks, unless it would be exact same cruise, price, date, cabin category, etc. In that case perks might be the decision maker.

 

I agree with you........I'm wondering if we make too much out of perks? We also cruise other lines.....to be honest I can't tell you all of Princess or HAL perks.......don't know.

 

I guess if you only cruise RC then perks become important. Price and Itinerary and Service are more important to me than perks..........don't get me wrong.......I'll take them:p

[LMZinSC]

Okay.....Am I the only one who noticed that the D+ upgrades got worse rather than better?????:( The upgrade from a balcony is now limited to only JS and Grand Suites.

What makes you think they are going to follow their own rules this time? I bet it won't be long until we heard about someone being upgraded to an OS.

[cruisenfever]

The deal breaker for me is that RCL took away the Preferred seating in the dining room for diamond plus. If I am not garenteed which MDR seating I get I will look elsewhere. The dining room is one of most enjoyable aspects of a cruise.

Just called C&A and talked with Kerry. She apologized for the wording on the C&A website , but they did not take Preferred Seating in the MDR away from Diamond Plus Members.

 

When you make a booking your dining request will be entered as it always has in the past and if you book early, you will get preferred seating at the dining time you requested. If you book late and the preferred seating is filled, then you are put on a priority wait list.

 

Preferred Seating has not changed and they did not take it away. they just didn't word it correctly.

[truffles2]

 

Preferred Seating has not changed and they did not take it away. they just didn't word it correctly.

 

OF course.